Spring is slowly arriving here in our home state of Oklahoma. The weather has been lovely. I am so happy to see the changing season and hoping it brings with it a rapid end to the sickness that was so prevalent for many this year.
When we left the hospital they told us to keep Ellis away from as many germs as possible because she cannot, cannot get sick.

We took their instructions seriously. Because of this, our family has basically been living in a self-imposed exile since her release from the hospital in December. No one has hardly come in to our house, and we have barely been out of our house.

We were told to avoid church and nurseries, because it was not wise to be around large groups of people who carry germs.

I’ve kept Milo away from my friend’s children because many of them have had the flu and we don’t want Milo to get it and possibly expose Ellis. Germ-ex is applied liberally around our home and 90% of my friends haven’t even met my daughter, a crazy thought since she’s already four months old.

Milo has rarely gotten to leave the house. I typically only leave the house to run errands.

Although I have gone out for certain events, it is very few and far between.

It has been a hard and lonely season being away from our community of friends and people we do life with. Yet as hard as it has been, it’s been worth it. Milo has stayed pretty much sickness free in a season where sickness abounded. In turn, Ellis has remained sickness free. She has had a chance to grow and heal, get stronger and build up her immunity again.

All that said, I’m glad spring has arrived. I’m thankful we will be able to return to somewhat normalcy in the next few weeks. Join the real world.

And I’m oh so thankful we were able to get Ellis through some really crucial months unscathed. It feels like a major victory.

Ellis has several appointments over the next few weeks. Her first one was last week, a check-in with physical therapy.

The way our therapist explained it to us is there are categories of what motor-skills a child should be doing and at what age they should be doing it. Her last appointment, at 3 months old, Ellis was placed in the category of what a newborn to 2 month old was doing. I was thrilled that at this appointment she has now moved to the next category and is, at 4 months, doing what a 3 to 5 month old baby should be doing.

She’s growing, progressing, and learning new skills. She’s still doing so well they only need to monitor her monthly to make sure she’s not falling behind. All of this is such good news. Moving forward every time is exactly what we want.

Ellis continues to defy her medical prognosis and all of the things we were told she would never do. Even though that is the case, I did want to make it a point to express my thankfulness for many in the medical community. My Mom is in the medical community as are some of my friends. Many work hard at their job and consider it their ministry.

They are dealing with people in agonizing situations. Some doctors are good at that, some are not. Some are jaded and others have empathy. I’ve met people on both sides of the coin in my experience with both my daughter and my husband. I’ve even met medical people from our journey that I now call friends. I am thankful for them and what they do. I am thankful for those who love on patients and their families so well. I’m thankful for medical people who state the facts but also leave room for hope.

Hope is so important.

So yes, just like in life, we’ve encountered medical people we haven’t been fond of. But we’ve also encountered many we really loved, who did an exceptional job at caring for us. Without them (and of course the hand of God) Ellis would not be here. And as often as I like to give reports contrary to what we were told, I also want to be sure to acknowledge each person who played a huge part in helping us along the way. Many of them get just as excited about Ellis’ good reports as we do. For those of you in that category, this is my heartfelt thank you.

I also wanted to say another thank you to you readers! I love to read your comments and messages. I wish I could respond to each and every one, but it’s gotten to the point that’s not likely possible. So I want to say thank you, collectively, for your thoughts, prayers, and ever encouraging ways you love on us.

Thank you to those who’ve taken time to send me a message, or a card, or secretly leave money on my front porch (you know who you are!) You all have blown me away with your goodness. And though a simple thank you doesn’t seem like nearly enough, it is what I offer up to you with my whole heart.

Hope you all enjoy the pictures below of my babies. They are quite fond of each other if you can tell. There’s a picture of Ellis laughing during her play mat time, and some time outdoors with Milo. Lastly, she still hates tummy time, but look at how well she does! We are so proud of this little lady.

Sarah Rodriguez Rhodes

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This man of mine-he loves me deep. And I love him even more than I could put into words or simple captions. Every day, he feels like more than I deserve. And every moment with him, is one I cherish. I love us, I love our story, I love who we were & I love even more who we’re becoming. @deangelorhodes you’re home to me. ❤️ 📷: Magnolia Adams Photography

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